Light emitting device and manufacturing method thereof
A light emitting device has a substrate, an LED mounted on the substrate. A first transparent layer seals the LED, and a second transparent layer is provided around the first transparent layer. Particles of fluorescent material are included in the second transparent layer. A reflector layer is formed on outside walls except an upper side.
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This application is a division of Ser. No. 10/164,557 filed Jun. 10, 2002, now U.S. Pat No. 6,707,247.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a light emitting device using the light emitting diode (LED) and the method for manufacturing the device.
The LED is made by forming a pn junction on a semiconductor wafer consisting of a compound of the III-V family such as GaP, GaAs and the like.
Experiments have been carried out to obtain a light emitting device which emits desired colors. The light emitting device has a sealing resin such as epoxy resin and silicon resin. In order to generate a desired color, fluorescence materials are mixed in sealing resin.
However, since the fluorescence material is heavy compared with the sealing resin, particles of the fluorescence material deposit in the resin before hardening of the resin. The deposited particles disperse irregularly on the LED and the substrate. Consequently, the light emitted by the light emitting device is irregular in color and luminance distribution.
On the other hand, there has been provided a method for manufacturing a plurality of light emitting devices by using dyes. However, the dye method is complicated because of a number of process steps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a light emitting device having uniform color and luminance distribution.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method which is able to manufacture a light emitting device at few steps.
According to the present invention, there is provided a light emitting device comprising a substrate, an LED mounted on the substrate, a first transparent layer sealing the LED, a second transparent layer provided around the first transparent layer, fluorescent material being included in either of the first transparent layer and the second transparent layer, and a reflector layer formed on outside walls except an upper side.
A coloring agent is included in either of the first and second transparent layers.
Fluorescent material and a coloring agent are included in either of the first and second transparent layers.
The second transparent layer has an inverted trapezoid shape in section.
A method for manufacturing a light emitting device, comprising the steps of preparing a substrate aggregation having a plurality of substrate divisions, mounting an LED on the substrate division, forming a first transparent layer on the substrate aggregation, cutting off the first transparent layer at division lines surrounding the substrate division to form an individual first transparent layer, forming a second transparent layer on the individual first transparent layer, cutting off the second transparent layer at division lines surrounding the substrate division to form an individual second transparent layer, forming a reflector film on outside walls of the individual second transparent layer, and dividing the substrate division at division lines of the division.
The method further comprises providing a substrate attachment between adjacent substrate divisions, and cutting off the substrate attachment and the second transparent layer in an inverted V-shape in section.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The LED 3 is composed to emit blue light. The LED 3 is sealed by a first sealing cubic transparent layer 4 made of a transparent resin such as epoxy resin. The first transparent layer 4, in turn is covered by a second parallelpiped transparent layer 5 made of transparent resin such as epoxy resin. In the second transparent layer 5, particles of fluorescence material such as yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), and particles of coloring agent are included. Outside walls of the second transparent layer 5 except the upper side are covered by a reflector layer 6 by metal plating of silver or aluminum.
The blue light emitted from the LED 3 enters in the second transparent layer 5 passing through the first transparent layer 4. When the blue light catches the particle of fluorescence material, the blue changes into yellow. When the blue light which does not catch the particle of fluorescence material mixes with the yellow light, the lights changes into white. The white changes into a desired color dependent on the color of the coloring agent. If the desired color is pink, coloring agent of red is mixed in the second layer 5. Thus, pink light emits from the light emitting device 10. The coloring agent may be mixed in the first transparent layer.
A method for manufacturing the light emitting device 10 will be described hereinafter.
Referring to
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A condenser lens portion 4a is formed on the surface of the first transparent layer 4. The condenser lens portion 4a condenses the light from the LED 3, thereby increasing the luminance of the emitted light.
A third embodiment of the light emitting device of the present invention will be described with reference to
The light emitting device 30 comprises a substrate 31 made of epoxy resin, a pair of electrodes 32 formed on both sides of the substrate 31, an LED 33 mounted on the substrate, and a first transparent layer 34. These members are the same as those of the first embodiment of
The substrate 31 and the first transparent layer 34 are covered by a second transparent layer 35 made of silicon resin and having an inverted trapezoid in section. A fluorescent material and coloring agent are included in the second layer 35. A reflector film 36 are formed on the outside walls of the second transparent layer 35. Thus, the light emitting device 30 has a light expansion effect.
A method for manufacturing the light emitting device 30 is explained hereinafter with reference to
Referring to
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In the light emitting device of the present invention, the second transparent layer is formed on the first transparent layer. Therefore, particles of the fluorescent material are uniformly diffused on the surface of the first transparent layer without depositing on the LED. Consequently, light uniformly emits from the light emitting device.
In the method of the present invention, dies are not used. Therefore, a plurality of light emitting devices can be manufactured at simple steps.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with preferred specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A light emitting device comprising:
- a substrate having a flat upper surface;
- an LED mounted on the upper surface of the substrate;
- a first transparent layer mounted on the substrate for sealing the LED;
- a second transparent layer having an underside surface coextensive with the upper surface of the substrate and mounted on the upper surface of the substrate so as to surround the first transparent layer;
- fluorescent material being included in the second transparent layer;
- particles of coloring agent included in the second transparent layer; and
- a reflector layer formed on peripheral outside walls of the second transparent layer except an upper side thereof.
2. The light emitting device according to claim 1 wherein the second transparent layer has an inverted trapezoid shape in section.
6649946 | November 18, 2003 | Bogner et al. |
20010000622 | May 3, 2001 | Reeh et al. |
2000156528 | June 2000 | JP |
2002164934 | June 2002 | JP |
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 3, 2003
Date of Patent: Apr 11, 2006
Patent Publication Number: 20040069993
Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd. (Yamanashi-ken)
Inventor: Yoshio Murano (Yamanashi-ken)
Primary Examiner: Hoai Pham
Assistant Examiner: Dana Farahani
Attorney: Dennison, Schultz, Dougherty & MacDonald
Application Number: 10/677,229
International Classification: H01L 33/00 (20060101);